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Battle Town Council

The Almonry

The Council owns the Almonry site which includes, as well as the Town Council offices, the Town Museum and a public garden. Other space within the building is leased to other businesses. From time to time these spaces become available - if you are interested in taking a lease please contact the Town Clerk.

We are told that a house has most likely been on the site of what is now known as The Almonry since 1090 when the town was first laid out. The first rental, dated about 1107, is in the Battle Abbey Chronicle, an account of the Battle and the founding of the Abbey which was written by the monks and is now housed in the British Library.

It never was an Almonry but the Almoner did own land behind the present Market site and Western Avenue. The house was known from the early Middle Ages as KNIGHT's taken from an important family which owned land in the Leuga - the one league radius round Battle which the Conqueror gave to his new Abbey.

Records show that the property was part of the Abbey Estate and had a number of tenants until it reverted to the Abbey in 1800. It was sold in about 1930 and remained in private ownership until the early 1980's when it was acquired by the County Council. The Town Council purchased the site in 1987.

The present building is a good example of the type of oak framed timber house built after the years of decline following the black death and was originally a five bay hall house built in the C15. It has since been partially rebuilt, added to and some parts even demolished over the centuries. Most of these changes, including the addition of chimneys, took place in the C16 and C17. An unusual feature of the building is an internal courtyard which also has a well. It is set within delightful gardens which have won gold awards in the South & South East in Bloom competition.